A working session at the Oct. 7 Wylie Planning and Zoning Commission meeting brought developers, the city and community members together to discuss rezoning an undeveloped tract on the east side of State Highway 78 — informally referred to during the meeting as the "Mounds of Wylie." No vote was taken; the session was advisory.

James Delon, representing Crestline (an investment manager out of Fort Worth), said Crestline foreclosed on the asset after the prior developer defaulted on a loan. Delon and other representatives explained the site currently carries entitlements that include 144 multifamily units and roughly 36,258 square feet of retail and office space with 11 pad sites under a prior PD approved in 2019. Crestline said an earlier attempt to increase multifamily density to about 250 units was denied by council in June 2024.

Delon said the owner is exploring a commercial‑only path that would relinquish multifamily entitlements and focus on retail, junior anchors and office uses to make the property marketable. He said prospective multifamily buyers found the existing PD vesting and conditions difficult to operate under.

Commissioners and staff discussed policy preferences they had heard from City Council, including a council preference to minimize new multifamily at the site. Kevin, city planner, and other commissioners said they would be open to a Commercial Corridor PD wrapped as a PD that removes residential entitlements but establishes a list of permitted commercial uses and a limited set of special‑use permits to streamline future tenant approvals.

Speakers at the session cautioned against approving uses that are hard to redevelop later — repeated examples included car washes, gas stations and large distribution facilities — and urged a focus on uses that bring daytime foot traffic and higher‑value retail (grocer, full‑service restaurants, family‑oriented entertainment). Austin Riley, who identified his address and said he had been in discussions with preferred grocery and junior‑anchor developers, said site connectivity and lack of a street corner complicate attracting a grocer but suggested a mixed approach with commercial fronting FM 78 and complementary office or small business uses in the rear.

Staff and several commissioners indicated preliminary support for a broadly worded commercial PD that would: relinquish multifamily approvals, allow multiple commercial lots, permit certain uses by right, and bundle or otherwise streamline special‑use permit requirements (for example, a limited number of drive‑through restaurants) so tenants could pursue site plans more quickly. Commissioners also emphasized the city should avoid industrial/distribution uses and consider higher‑quality retail and entertainment that would retain local spending in Wylie.

Staff said they would take commission feedback to City Council in an upcoming work session and then return to the commission with draft PD language. No formal action or vote occurred during the working session.